


The Garden Party

by MrProphet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 23:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10707150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrProphet/pseuds/MrProphet
Summary: I think the most notable thing about this set is how much I know about the background of The Garden Party, but couldn't fit in. For example, Japera Talkene is a Zimbabwean witch, whose mother came over to England to work as a nurse in St Mungo's. Her father remained behind; alive or dead, she isn't sure, because he was a great enemy of the corrupt ruling magical regime and its Mugabe-esque president. The ambition which drew her to Slytherin is a desire to go back and be a part - a major part - of sorting out her country. Sadly, this is a character based in part on children I've taught. I also know that Draco was hit hard by the events of the war, with the result that his ego was crushed, leaving nothing but a fragile veneer of hauteur. He surprised everyone in his choice of wife because instead of someone who complemented his apparent ambition, he went for someone quiet he could push around. His son, consequently, never had any respect for him and stopped being afraid of him once he got to Hogwarts, hence he became the Malfoy family's first serious rebel and quite a decent lad if you get through the spiky exterior.Sibyl Trelawny and Firenze became close friends after the Battle of Hogwarts, although Trelawny remained a bloody awful seer. They were instrumental in securing closer ties between the wizards and the centaurs, although to date Firenze's daughter is the only centaur at Hogwarts.Many freed house elves chose a new name for themselves and a large proportion of these chose to become 'Dobby', with either the name of their former family or of a patron as their surname. More radical Elves, such as Dobby X, chose surnames not attached to human families. Once she became Minister of Magic, Hermione achieved her goal of universal suffrage for all intelligent magical creatures and opened Hogwarts and the other wizarding schools to all races.





	The Garden Party

_Hogwarts, July 2022_

The students of Hogwarts stretched out and relaxed on blankets on the Memorial Lawns. The staff sat at a long picnic table on the mound, while smaller tables had been set up behind the blankets for the seventh years. That evening the children would sit at their long, House tables for the presentation of the House Cup, but as was traditional at the end-of-year garden party there were no Gryffindor blankets, nor Hufflepuff blankets, nor even were there as many all-Slytherin blankets as there had been last year.

Albus and Lily sat with Lily’s boyfriend, Zaccheus Myrth – her seventeenth true love in the past year – and a group of friends drawn from all four Houses. James of course was on the seventh-year tables.

Professor McGonagall stood up and lifted her wand to her throat. She looked as fragile and insubstantial as Scotch mist, but she still had a core of steel after ten years of retirement.

“Students of Hogwarts,” she said, the amplification charm carrying her voice effortlessly across the lawn. “Welcome to the twenty-second Hogwarts Summer Garden Party. I am honoured to be invited – once more – to be your guest speaker, but I shall try not to go on for too long,” she said. “I know that for you, this event is a chance to relax after the trials of your exams, but I feel it incumbent upon me to remind you, just once, that this annual event was inaugurated by Kingsley Shacklebolt as a time of remembrance as well as of celebration.

She touched the white rowan sprig pined to her shawl and glanced, as she always did when she stood on the mound, towards the Garden of Remembrance, where the memorials and graves of those who gave their lives in defence of Hogwarts lay. All of the staff, and many of the students, touched their own rowan sprigs and followed her gaze.

“I look to the past for wisdom,” she said, “to remember what happened once and must not be allowed to happen again. And then I turn back to see your expectant, youthful faces, and they remind me that we came out of those dark times. Memory and hope for the future; these are the things that the Garden Party means to me.”

She was silent for a long moment, but when she looked up she was smiling. “But for you, the summer is starting and you do not want to think of dark things. Nor should you, for you are young and life is before you. So before I commence the festivities, I just want to share with you a few happy announcements.

“Firstly, two of our former pupils, Ted and Victoire Lupin, have written to inform us that they are now the proud parents of twins; a boy and a girl, to be named – I am delighted to inform you – William and Minerva.”

A ripple of applause ran around the lawn, as much for Professor McGonagall as for the new parents.

“Secondly, although the full list of merit prizewinners will be announced by the Minister of Magic, Hermione Granger, at the school Prize Giving tomorrow, I can offer you a few sneak previews.

“The winners of the Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks Prizes for outstanding overall achievement in this year’s NEWT exams will come as a surprise to none. I might announce them now, but I fear that the students in question – Head Boy James Potter of Gryffindor and Head Girl Japera Talkene of Slytherin – appear to be somewhat preoccupied at present.”

All eyes turned to the seventh-year tables, where James and Japera slowly realised that they were the focus of attention and broke apart with a great many blushes.

“Congratulations to you both,” Professor McGonagall said, “although I might remind you that you are supposed to be setting an example to the younger pupils in terms of behaviour as well as academic achievement.”

The pupils laughed. James took a sudden and detailed interest in his champagne glass and Japera let her mane of dramatically white-charmed hair fall over her face.

“If you could keep such ardent displays of affection for the proper place and time – the brush room of the Owlery after lights out, if I recall correctly from my own schooldays – I am sure that we would all appreciate it. Especially those of us for whom such things are a matter of recollection only.”

“I still can’t believe our brother is dating a Slytherin,” Lily sighed.

Albus turned aside to hide his own blush. “I still can’t believe you haven’t. Statistically you should have gone out with one of them at least.”

“In this year’s OWLs as well, a few names of note have cropped up,” Professor McGonagall went on. “The Potions Prize this year goes to a student who has attained the second highest score of any pupil in Hogwarts’ history, only two points lower than that of Severus Snape: Scorpius Malfoy of Slytherin House.”

Scorpius stood up, lifting his hands and turning a slow circle to acknowledge the cheers of the Slytherins – and a number of other pupils – before sitting down again.

“Ever the drama queen,” Albus muttered.

Scorpius shot him a grin. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” he crowed.

“Thank you, Mr Malfoy,” Professor McGonagall said. “I’m sure that you will have a chance to thank the Wizengamot at the Prize Giving tomorrow. I ask only that you try not to cry at the podium; we're trying to keep to a schedule.

“I am pleased to say that for the first time in three years, we have a student who has achieved sufficiently high marks across all subjects to qualify for the Albus Dumbledore Award for Magical Excellence,” she went on. “It is a particular pleasure that this award will be presented to one of my namesakes: Dobby McGonagall of Hufflepuff.”

Dobby – one of more than fifteen Dobbys in the school at present, the name never having gone out of style with the House Elves – leaped into the air and performed a triple somersault, while his fellow Hufflepuffs yodelled in delight and House Elves of all Houses shot fireworks from their fingertips. Only Dobby X, Slytherin’s representative from the Nation of House Elves, looked sternly disapproving.

Professor McGonagall waited for quiet before continuing. “We also have, for the first time ever, joint winners in the Divination Prize: Sibyl Firenzfoal and Firenze Trelawny, both of Ravenclaw.”

Boy and centaur both stood to bow gravely to their Housemates and friends.

“And I hear Griflock will be winning the prize for Arithmancy,” Lily whispered. “Another strike against anyone who thinks non-humans can’t cut it at Hogwarts.”

“And we have another student who has achieved a record score,” the elderly ex-headmistress went on. “Actually, we have a student who has achieved a round half-dozen records, but I shall leave that announcement to Ms Granger, for reasons which will become apparent.”

Rose Weasley blushed and hid her face under her robes.

“When I retired as headmistress I was determined that my successor must have a strong hand to guide Hogwarts into the future. Many people doubted whether a… what were their words? Oh, yes: a ‘jumped up athlete’ could cut it as Headmistress. Well, the quality of the last few years’ results has shown me that Madam Hooch has guided Hogwarts firmly on its way, and I am proud to see such greatness emerging.

“One more announcement and then I’ll be done. As a teacher, I am not supposed to have favourites, but even very old, retired teachers remain human. I am therefore delighted to tell you all that the winner of this year’s Severus Snape Memorial Prize for attainment in Defence Against the Dark Arts will be, most aptly, Albus Severus Potter.”

Gryffindor’s whooped, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs cheered and even Slytherins offered up a polite ripple of clapping. Lily hugged her brother tightly, while Scorpius clapped a hand on his shoulder.

And then it happened. In the midst of so much good feeling and joy, a single voice called out: “Muggle Lover!”

Silence fell across the lawns. Madam Hooch leaped to her feet, her hawk-eyes flashing. Professor McGonagall looked as though she were about to explode.

For a long time, no-one spoke, before Scorpius broke the silence and called out: “Is someone calling me a Muggle?”

There was a pause, and then laughter broke out. Even the staff relaxed, and somewhere in the Slytherin ranks a boy could be seen slinking away.

Albus, however, hid his face in his arms.

Lily laughed. “Oh, don’t be such a drip,” she teased. “Like no-one knew.”

**Author's Note:**

> I think the most notable thing about this set is how much I know about the background of The Garden Party, but couldn't fit in. For example, Japera Talkene is a Zimbabwean witch, whose mother came over to England to work as a nurse in St Mungo's. Her father remained behind; alive or dead, she isn't sure, because he was a great enemy of the corrupt ruling magical regime and its Mugabe-esque president. The ambition which drew her to Slytherin is a desire to go back and be a part - a major part - of sorting out her country. Sadly, this is a character based in part on children I've taught. I also know that Draco was hit hard by the events of the war, with the result that his ego was crushed, leaving nothing but a fragile veneer of hauteur. He surprised everyone in his choice of wife because instead of someone who complemented his apparent ambition, he went for someone quiet he could push around. His son, consequently, never had any respect for him and stopped being afraid of him once he got to Hogwarts, hence he became the Malfoy family's first serious rebel and quite a decent lad if you get through the spiky exterior.
> 
> Sibyl Trelawny and Firenze became close friends after the Battle of Hogwarts, although Trelawny remained a bloody awful seer. They were instrumental in securing closer ties between the wizards and the centaurs, although to date Firenze's daughter is the only centaur at Hogwarts.
> 
> Many freed house elves chose a new name for themselves and a large proportion of these chose to become 'Dobby', with either the name of their former family or of a patron as their surname. More radical Elves, such as Dobby X, chose surnames not attached to human families. Once she became Minister of Magic, Hermione achieved her goal of universal suffrage for all intelligent magical creatures and opened Hogwarts and the other wizarding schools to all races.


End file.
